One of Europe’s largest vertical farms is up and running in a 7,000 square-meter warehouse near Copenhagen, producing lettuce and herbs vertically and powered by wind.

In 2050, there will be nearly 10 billion people on Earth — about 3 billion more mouths to feed than there were in 2010. We will need 56% more food in 2050 to feed all, but at the same time, we need to prevent agricultural land from expanding as we currently use 50% of the world’s vegetated land for agriculture. Rethinking methods of producing food is thus a necessity.

In a carefully controlled environment, Nordic Harvest, a Danish company specialised in vertical farming, produces salads and herbs on 14 floors in one of Northern Europe’s biggest vertical farms. The method used works as a closed ecosystem and has several advantages. It is e.g. possible to harvest all year round, uses significantly less water and limits the use of pesticides or fertilisers.

A recirculated food system

The farm will produce 1,000 tonnes of salads and herbs a year, when fully developed, on an area equivalent to a large football pitch. The plants grow in a 100% circular environment where everything is recycled and cleaned. Once the water has passed the plants, it is cleaned and sent back into the plant. With 100% control of their water usage and nutrient uptake from the plants, nothing is wasted. This means that 90-95% less water is used compared to the usual amount in agriculture.

The sow and harvest happen 15 times a year and produces 1000 tons of green in 100 times less space

Electrifying Danish agriculture

Because the plants do not have to fight against nature in the form of wind and weather, do not have to use force to pull nutrients or water out of the ground or fight pests, they grow faster. In fact, they only spend 2-3 weeks growing from seed to finished plant. This means that Nordic Harvest can sow and harvest in a continuous process 15 times a year and produce 1,000 tons of green in 100 times less space than if grown in the field.

The facility runs on 100% certified wind energy and adapt – with custom-made LED diodes – both light spectrum and brightness, so that the optimal photosynthesis is created in each individual plant type.

Vertical farming shows how Denmark is now innovating within agriculture and technology fulfilling a great need in relation to rethink production methods and make crop production more sustainable.

Combustible dust is a fire and explosion hazard when food manufacturers spray-dry milk and other food products into a powder format. The primary source of the risk is the residues that form in the pressure nozzles when liquid dairy or food concentrates are atomised into small droplets before drying.

Danish technology supplier GEA Process Engineering has patented a nozzle purging system to eliminate the hazard and, at the same time, prevent unwanted microbiological growth and loss of yield.

Automated purging improves hygiene and reduces fire risk

The nozzles are routinely taken out for cleaning and replaced during operation, and it is this procedure that can lead to the formation of unwanted food residues. Using the GEA Clean Purge system, such residues can be expelled from the nozzle prior to the replacement operation. In this way, there are no deposits left that could compromise hygiene or initiate a self-combustion process.

In addition to improving safety in the production plant, the cleaning system provides significant operational savings by reducing cleaning frequency and improving equipment efficiency overall. Water, energy and chemical consumption are significantly lower with the system installed.

Higher yield and significant savings in cleaning and energy

GEA Clean Purge is the only fully patented solution that significantly reduces safety risks, representing an important step forward for food and dairy powder production. Besides addressing the primary cause of fire and explosions in food and dairy spray dryers, the Clean Purge system from GEA offers significant and valuable product and operational savings.

a typical plant that operates with a 24/7 concept and produces 5-7 tons of powder per hour, would be able to increase the annual yield by approximately 40-60 tons at daily operations.

The savings will be obtained by reduced cleaning frequency, reduced water, energy and chemical consumption, lower costs for wastewater disposal and higher overall equipment efficiency. Simply by eliminating feed remaining in the system before cleaning cycles, a typical plant that operates with a 24/7 concept and produces 5-7 tons of powder per hour, would be able to increase the annual yield by approximately 40-60 tons at daily operations.

Danish meat processor ROSE Poultry has found that saving water and energy is sometimes surprisingly easy. In its poultry abattoir business, the company has cut water consumption by 100 cubic metres a day on its chicken feet line, simply by reversing the water flow. A lower water temperature has also brought daily energy savings.

Chicken feet are big business. But, before the feet can be packed and exported, they are exposed to a lot of water, both to soften them so the skin can be removed and for cooling. In the past, clean water was used for every processing step and then sent to the factory’s wastewater treatment facility. Now, by pumping counter-clockwise, the water is moved from the clean cooling process to the earlier dirty processes.

The new approach cuts daily water usage on the chicken feet line by 50% and can lower the water temperature, saving EUR 100 a day

The new approach has cut daily water usage on the chicken feet line by 50%, equivalent to 7% of the factory’s overall water consumption. Furthermore, in the skin removal process, ROSE Poultry found that they could lower the water temperature from 55°C to 35°C at no expense to hygiene or product quality, cutting energy costs by EUR 100 a day.

For ROSE Poultry, their efficiency project has been a real eye-opener – and an inspiration for many other improvements, which are now underway.

Great demands are made for the quality of the climate system in livestock houses to ensure an exact adjustment of temperature, air humidity and air velocity, among other things, in order to create optimum production conditions. Birds of highly improved breeds combined with a high stocking density require a climate of precise adjustment. There is only one correct temperature – if it is not sustained, an optimum productivity cannot be attained.

In most areas, there will be times (day/night or summer/winter) when the outside temperature for a shorter or longer period will fall below the temperature comfortable for the birds. A day-old chicken requiring 33°C (91°F) – at a relative air humidity of 50% – would feel it as very cold if the outside temperature were 24°C (75°F) and the air is directed straight into the zone occupied by the birds without being heated first.

With optimum temperature and humidity, you can dramatically lift productivity

Ventilation systems to control climate conditions

Danish company SKOV supplies ventilation systems for all production types and climate conditions, and their Combi-Tunnel system takes the complexity of this issue into account. The ventilation system consists of two systems ventilating according to two different principles. The system changes between two principles based on the outside temperature and the age of the birds.

In hot weather, the Combi-Tunnel ventilates as a normal tunnel system. In cold weather, where the tunnel has its weaknesses, the Combi-Tunnel system takes the fresh air in through smaller wall inlets that are placed in sidewalls of the building. The air outlet is conducted through exhaust units in the roof or through wall fans.

 

Get a better FRC and lower mortality

Tunnel ventilation is a good principle when it is hot, but there will always be times when the principle does not work optimally at minimum ventilation. Combi-Tunnel includes the advantages of the Tunnel ventilation system during the hot seasons and at the same time, it warrants the creation of optimum ventilation during the cold season.

The experience of SKOV is that this surplus investment will be paid back in three or four years as a result of a better Feed Conversion Rate (FCR) and a lower mortality rate. The colder periods – time of the year or cold hours at night – the quicker the surplus investment will be earned back.

A new biorefining technique has unlocked the high protein content of Danish clover grass and will soon make it available in feed for organic pork and poultry producers.

Containing more than 40% protein and all the right amino acids, clover grass has great potential as locally sourced nutrition feed. Results from livestock feeding trials have proven that the extracted protein is an efficient alternative to soya meal in pig and poultry feed.

Containing more than 40% protein and all the right amino acids, green herbage has great potential as locally sourced nutrition

The technique has been co-developed by research partners from the private and public sector and involves squeezing large amounts of freshly and finely cut clover grass in a screw press. The juice is then transferred to an acid tank, heated and fermented using a lactic acid culture.

Concentrated protein is removed from the juice by centrifugation. Residues from production can also be used to feed cows and fuel biogas plants.

Once ready for commercial launch, the green protein feed will provide organic and conventional farmers with an additional, locally produced supply of essential nutrients for their livestock.

Traditional testing methods are time consuming and poultry companies risk further outbreak of diseases as they await results. A collaboration project across borders has developed a portable device that can detect pathogens and viruses in less than an hour.

Rapid detection of pathogens and viruses is vital in the poultry industry to avoid outbreaks of salmonella, campylobacter and bird flu that are a risk to consumer health and may lead to expensive losses for producers.

Farmers and food producers currently rely on traditional test methods, which involves sending samples to a laboratory for analysis and waiting for up to two days for the results. Due to the speed at which infectious diseases spread, the delay may have critical consequences.

Thanks to the fast result, farmers and food producers have the opportunity to contain and eliminate undesirable microorganisms from a much earlier stage

Fast analysis on location

The Technical University of Denmark (DTU) teamed up with partners in Sweden, France, Germany and Italy to develop a solution. Together, they came up with Vetpod, a portable device that can detect pathogens and viruses in poultry flocks or fresh meat processing lines in less than an hour.

Vetpod contains a specially designed chip, so throat or rectal samples from the animals can be analysed on location. Thanks to the fast result, farmers and food producers have the opportunity to contain and eliminate undesirable microorganisms from a much earlier stage.

Developed as part of the EU-funded VIVALDI project, Vetpod is commercially available now.

New 3D trimming technology addresses the challenge many slaughterhouses deals with when they trim the fat layer of different meats. The technology utilises a 3D picture, which can then be used to direct a machine to conduct fast and efficient trimming.

Producing uniform, high-quality pork loin is no longer a challenge using 3D trimming technology developed by the Danish Meat Research Institute in partnership with machine manufacturer Frontmatec and the meat processing companies Tican and Danish Crown.

Their advanced and fully automated machine is designed for precision trimming of the fat layer on pork loin, improving quality and reducing waste.

For slaughterhouses, the machine overcomes a long-standing challenge – the reliance on manual evaluation of the meat by slaughterhouse workers, who then determine the thickness of the fat layer on, for example, back bacon for the UK market.

The advanced and fully automated machine is designed for precision trimming of the fat layer on pork loin, improving quality and reducing waste

Four-second process

The solution starts with the machine computer, which generates a precise 3D picture of each pork loin to determine where fat and meat intersect. Based on that information, a patented automated knife system then cuts the loin fast and efficiently. The whole process takes just four seconds per joint.

The technology adapts easily to the varying needs of individual markets, resulting in pork loin that always meets expectation and makes the best possible use of the meat.

In collaboration with various research organisations, Samson Agro has developed technology that ensures real-time measurements of nutrients in manure. The technology enables farmers to avoid nutrient overuse.

Samson Agro has applied the latest technology to its agricultural machines for more than 75 years. The challenge is always to meet farmer needs to increase crop yield while making efficient use of the nutrients in manure and reduce their environmental impact.

To ensure product innovation of the highest possible standard, Samson Agro partners with universities and other research organisations. As a result, the company has been able to expand its smart farming technology with a GPS solution for variable slurry application based on GPS mapping.

The solution is combined with a nuclear magnetic resonance sensor system that takes precise real-time measurements of nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in the natural fertilisers. In this way, farmers can be sure that slurry spreaders distribute nutrients precisely, according to the requirements of each field section.

By maximising the use of animal manure, farmer reliance on chemical fertilisers is reduced – along with their environmental footprint

Digital solutions that prevent nutrient overuse are the smart way to higher farm yields and profits. By maximising the use of animal manure, farmer reliance on chemical fertilisers is reduced – along with their environmental footprint.

Samson Agro is a Danish example of a company that leads the way with the development and sale of high-quality agricultural machinery. Wherever farmers are located in the world, Samson Agro designs machinery to give the highest yield.

VARO’s complex sorting and packaging system ensures fast and efficient packing and palleting of goods in food processing plants. The technology frees up man-hours of workers due to higher efficiency and better quality control of the packaging process. 

Up to 120 million cans of mackerel roll off the production lines at Sæby Fiske-Industri every year. A high-speed packing system, delivered by VARO, ensures each can is sorted and securely packaged before dispatch, primarily to supermarkets throughout Europe.

ABB has supplied the five FlexPicker robots on each of the two fully automated packing lines. Between them, they handle 800 cans a minute – more than 700,000 a day. Integrated vision software ensures every can lives up to the factory’s high quality standards.

Automated packing lines handle 800 cans a minute and more than 700.000 a day

Meeting complex needs

For automated equipment supplier VARO, ABB’s FlexPickers were the optimum choice for carrying out complex sorting and packaging tasks. As Sæby Fiske-Industri is Europe’s leading producer of private label canned mackerel, the robots are critical for ensuring a fast and smooth switch between the many packaging types and patterns for packaging and palletising.

The packing system is also equipped with an X-ray device that detects metal and other foreign materials before the cans are sent for date printing and to the vision unit, which checks for any deviations on the actual can.

Since installing the packing lines, Sæby Fiske-Industri has improved efficiency and eliminated manual tasks that cause repetitive strain injury. Employees can now focus on other work, including servicing the robots and filling boxes at the packing stations.

A real-time, virtual simulation tool developed by the Danish company, Niras, can help manufactures design and build complex production facilities. The tool lowers the costs and also the risks of a manufacturing investment due to more information about the facility prior to being build. 

Demands on efficiency, traceability and food safety are growing fast in industrial scale food production, and that often calls for major investments in new or upgraded facilities. Danish consultant engineering company Niras has developed a digital tool to help manufacturers take the risk out of their investments.

The tool is a real-time, virtual simulation of the production process, line or plant – a digital twin, where all parameters can be finetuned for the best possible performance. Using this technology, manufacturers can then design and build complex production facilities in real life, often at lower cost.

By using a digital twin, manufacturers
can design and build complex
production facilities in real life at a
lower cost

Niras is building a strong track record in the field. For one dairy that needed a new microdosing system, the investment cost was cut by EUR 630,000 after a digital twin validated and optimised the design.

Continuous monitoring

Once a new processing line is in operation, the digital twin can continue to inform manufacturers about potential problems so timely adjustments can be made and preventive maintenance carried out. When new equipment is added or there is a change in the product mix, the digital twin can also predict the impact, including the risk of bottlenecks elsewhere on the line.

In one dairy assignment, a digital twin was used to validate and optimise the design of micro-dosing equipment for a new powder blending section. Bottlenecks were identified and removed, cutting the investment by EUR 630,000 in just three weeks of simulation work.

Niras has also successfully designed digital twins for the brewing, dairy, meat, poultry and fish industry.